60 Modern Business Cards To Make A Killer First Impression

If you’ve landed on this page, chances are you already know this. With the right colors you can attract attention and make a statement; use a soft or rough texture to make an impact; experiment with shape to create a unique design that will certainly do the trick!

Making your business card pop out of the twenty-five others in your potential client’s cardholder takes a bit of creative thinking on your part. In a blink of an eye, they should know who you are, and remember who you are.

With a world of design possibilities to explore, we’ve put together a list of 60 modern business cards that will inspire you, and wow your clients. And we’ve sprinkled some Freelancer graphic design magic in there too!

So, without further ado let’s get right into it...

01. Classic With a Twist

Crisp, clean, and not straying from the classic, no-nonsense business cards; a modern business card like this simply tells you like it is. It has your name and contact details, but it’s the small changes that make a big difference. A glossy embossed name on a matte black finish, and the subtext engraved makes it a card that’s calm and quiet, but definitely hard to miss. Pair it with classic fonts, and you'll have a set of modern buisness cards that are destined for greater things.

02. Add a Splash of Color

Ditch the cream cards and boring text, and opt for something more exciting. Making your card colorful doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a clean look. Use a sleek font face for a clean design, and make the entire back a single color.

03. ...or a Hint of Neon

Cards can’t shout out your name, so let the color do it for you. A bright neon color can give off an energetic vibe, showing that you and your business are enthusiastic about the job you do. It can be paired with a clean design and geometric patterns for a sleek, professional feel.

04. One of a Kind Typography

Everyone else can download a new font, but you can have your own custom typography. Splash your business name on the front side with a fun and funky logotype that’s made especially for you and your brand. You can make a logotype that forms the shape of something you represent, or choose a custom calligraphy piece and wow them with flourishes. Having a one of a kind piece on your business card helps them remember that you’re a one of a kind business.

05. Think Outside of The Box

Give your card some shape. And don’t use a business card in a rectangle. Why box yourself into one form when you can choose any other? Use the shape of a flag, a fish, a bow-tie, or any form that captures what you do. Better than printing logos or graphics representing what it is you do, just hand them a card that lets them hold it in their hands.

06. Make it Eco-friendly

Want to save the world and make money at the same time? Make your business cards with recycled paper. It gives your card a textured feel, and makes it stand out like none other. Even with using simple text and barely any design, just the feel of and eco-friendly card material already makes you and your client feel good about booking your services.

Eco-friendly cards can also be made of other easily biodegradable materials like cogongrass, okra fibres, used cork, or ground bamboo. You can really spruce up your branding with these eco-friendly modern business cards.

07. Be Transparent About Your Brand (Literally)

Nothing sends a crystal clear message than a crystal clear card. A sleek and clean transparent card showcases a minimalist style that doesn’t have to be boring. It can stay in a rectangular shape, and make any design element pixel-perfect. For an added “pop,” add some creative print to make it a truly one of a kind modern business card.

08. Keep it Crisp With a Minimalist Design

When there’s really nothing else to say about your business, don’t speak. Less is more with a minimalist design. And for a card, putting less helps your potential client grasp the idea much faster. Clean cut and with no fuss, your card will exude confidence and style.

09. Turn it Sideways

Turn their world upside-down, and give them a card that breaks the rules. A portrait card doesn’t only work weird wonders, but it also helps when you have a larger logotype. It allows you to really keep it large and visible, without making it feel like it’s cramped for space. It’s also a fantastic way to apply design techniques similar to editorial design.

10. Give it a Crazy Pattern

Patterned cards are like their own little parties. They’re wild and imaginative, and definitely hard to miss. Have a crazy pattern that suits your tastes - a cartoon pattern for a kids’ party planner, or a skull pattern for a tattoo artist. Catch their attention with color, but draw them back in with a coherent logo. Keep the back clean and easy to read for quick contacting, but tie the card together with a hint of the pattern still visible.

11. Get Interactive

What better way of letting them know your business than to let them see it in action?

Help your client visualize the results they will receive with your services, with a card that shows them. Interactive business cards gives your client a bit of audience participation. It not only makes your business card fun and easily memorable, but effectively sends the message across. Whether you want to help grow their business, or grow their food, an interactive and modern business card shows you’re more than just talk.

12. Have a Well-rounded Brand

Why stick to rectangles when you could do so much better? Round business cards can have a clean and professional design, but sport a truly different shape that just makes this little rebel easily anybody’s favourite card. Bonus points if the front face shows a graphic of what your business does. Use the round shape to your advantage, as it frames a graphic in a unique way that corners can never give you.

13. Stamp it on!

Everyone else can print their cards, but a custom-made stamped card makes a world of difference. The texture of the ink is easily the first visible difference. But it also gives a rustic feeling, and is what really makes these types of modern business cards unique.

14. Rounded Corners

Cut corners on your card but not on your design. Rounded corners help frame your card differently from others. Hard corners are a classic, but rounding them off keeps your design focused and whole. Instead of a hard corner leading the eyes elsewhere, they’re more likely to keep their gaze centered on the information you’re presenting.

15. Switch Materials

If paper came from wood, then you might as well go straight to the source. Change the texture and feel of your card with the kind of material you choose. Go for wood for a crafty feel, or choose acrylic, leather, felt, suede, metal or anything that feels nice to the touch. These modern business cards often make you memorable visually, but add an extra sensory experience with your card.

16. Keep it Social With a QR Code

Say hello on every platform possible. QR codes, like barcodes, keep information densely compact in a single piece of graphic. A scanner can read and unscramble that information. With a QR code on your card, you can help your client reach you on any platform. Why write down multiple websites and social media accounts on your card, when you can lead them straight to it with a touch of a smartphone?

17. 3D Embossed

Let your brand come alive with a card so realistic, it’s ready to come off the pages. A 3D embossed card adds texture and life to your card, brings focus on your brand’s most significant graphic, and ultimately makes your business card a unique (and tactile) experience to hold.

18. Give it a Human Touch

Unless you have twins, nothing would be more unique than your own face. Put it on there and let the world remember you exactly for who you are. If it isn’t just you in your business, there are still other ways to put people on your card. Adding a happy face of a child in the last birthday party you organized, or the faces from the community whose houses you helped build can give your card a sense of humanity. It makes you and your brand relatable, and helps your potential client visualize themselves working with you.

19. Splash on Watercolors

Watercolor helps give your cards a splash of something new, but still manages to keep it classy. Like a transient wave, floating clouds, or the aurora borealis, cards like these are just calming and beautiful to look at. If you’ve been meaning to give your card a bit of color but don’t want to stray too far, then this might do the trick. Hand painted cards also mean they’re different from one another, so every potential client gets a new card each time.

20. Leave a Bit of Yourself Behind

Like maybe, your hand. You don’t need to chop off an arm and a leg for this business card. Keep it quirky and unique with a part of you. Whether it’s the shirt off your back or your glass slipper, leave it behind and let your client hold on to it.

21. Think Functional

Business cards can be pretty, but at the end of the day, most of them are just prints on a card. Take your business card a step further and make them useful. If you’re running a tech company, give out USB cards. Do you have a cleaning service? Door tags may just do the trick. Whatever it is, functional and modern business cards allows your client to see and remember what it is that you do. It also makes sure they won’t just throw your card away, along with the others.

22. Be There, And Be Square

There’s a reason why Instagram was so adamant about keeping every photo in a square frame for how many years. That reason being, that squares are just so clean to look at. Equal sides and hard corners keep your graphics centered. If you might not want to stray too far away from classic rectangular cards just yet, then square cards are a great first step.

23. Make it Metallic

Give your card a little extra shine with a metallic finish. If you want a card that stands out, but stays classy, a metallic card might just do you some good. Metallic cards give a feeling of decadence and premium quality services. When a potential client sees your card, and sees the stunning shine of your business card, they’ll definitely think that your business is worth their time and money.

24. Show Them Your Artistic Side

An intricately designed card not only makes your card special and unique, but also shows how creative your brand is. Your clients will love looking at each individual work of art, and will be sure to keep it for the next time they’ll call to book your services.

25. Make it Fun And Informal

Give your clients a good laugh. Fun cards that go outside the box are easily memorable, and they’re a treat to keep. They’re unexpected and they stray leagues away from a traditional business card. They’ll definitely remember you for your card!

26. Get Monogrammed

Monograms are a classic element. They’re a simple representation of you and your brand. They’re clean and crisp, and very often easier to remember than a logo. This works especially well if you’re offering your services alone, rather than in a team or a company. Keep your initials front and center, and you’ll definitely be easier to remember.

27. Go Mobile

People typically forego business cards because they can keep phone numbers on their phones. But phone numbers on a list just get drowned out with the rest. Hand out cards that look like mobile phones instead, and show them how beautiful your contact details would look if they saved them on their phones, right now. Let them know that you’re keeping up with the times with this fun and tech-savvy design.

28. Ace it With Playing Cards

When we say cards, the first thing that comes to mind would definitely be a deck you play with. Whether you’re working alone or as a pair, put yourselves on a card to easily show them that you’re the king of your game.

29. Gild Them in Gold

Whether you’re dipping them in gold, or giving an intricate design a detailed emboss, foiled cards are fantastic for bringing class and sass to your designs. A card doesn’t have to be entirely metallic, but a bit of sheen here and there gives it a truly rich feel.

30. Try Out Colored Edges

A card like this is deceptively stunning. It seems simple enough, but turning it to the side reveals a bit of unexpected fun. It might be exactly what you want to show: you’re professional, but not boring. Rim the sides with color, and show them that you’re business up front, and party on the side.

31. Keep it Clever With Playful Graphics

Give them stunning and modern business cards that remind them on first glance what it is you’re about. Clever and playful graphics give your potential clients a quick visual representation of who you are and what you do, not to mention making your brand memorable.

32. Stick on a Sticker

Stickers are easy to print, and can easily please a crowd. An unusually brilliant idea, take your stickers with you to place on anything, anywhere. Your client can stick them onto their planners and notebooks, or you can stick them onto samples of your product to hand out. It’s an easy solution for a memorable card.

33. Minimize Your Style

People often just take a quick glance at business cards and never give them a second look. Make sure your business card receives the attention it deserves. Make it half the size of a traditional card, and spice up the “business card exchange”. Your clients are sure to give such a unique card a decent look. Keep it direct, and to the point with a short and sweet message, and you’ll have a set of modern business cards that nobody can forget.

34. Cut it Out!

They say that less is more. But in this case, nothing is definitely everything. Blank spaces and cut outs make interesting visual materials that bring shape and life to your design by subtracting, rather than adding on more.

35. Surprise Them With Pop-up Cards

Compact when folded, a pop up card is a pleasantly entertaining surprise. Pop-up cards shouldn’t be restricted to greetings. Use them on your modern business cards to give a delightful 3D twist to an otherwise simple card.

36. Hand Them a Ticket

People often keep tickets to films they’ve seen, plays they’ve attended, or even plane rides they’ve taken to different parts of the world. If you want a modern business card that people are sure to keep, this may just be the ticket. Ticket cards are creative, and strike a sentimental and nostalgic chord with your clients.

37. Send Them Letters

If you need to spell out your name for them, do it. Letter shaped business cards are a step above monograms. If a monogram is your name on a card, then why not have your name as a card? It makes perfect sense, and makes for a great conversation starter.

38. Make it a Mystery

Instead of loudly proclaiming your identity, add a bit of intrigue to your modern business cards. Keep hidden messages by writing with lemon juice, or using white wax on white card. Engrave your details, and hand them a piece of charcoal to read it. Make the “business card exchange” a fun and exciting experience. Once they’ve figured out the mystery, they’ll surely never forget your business.

39. Seal The Deal

Bring it back to the time of kings and noblemen with a custom wax seal. Use an existing logo, or an intricately flourished monogram, or create your own coat of arms for a stunning regal effect. With a card like this, you can show them you’re the king of your craft.

40. Say it in a Speech Bubble

There’s no need to say hello, when your card can do it for you. With a modern business card like this, they’ll definitely know whose name to call out loud for help. Speech bubbles are a fun way to add shape to your cards without having it stray too far from the classics.

41. Be Iconic

Keep your business logo front and center on your card for a clean design that’s easily memorable. Instead of cluttering your card with unnecessary design, focusing on a single icon or symbol that represents your brand makes your business easy to recall.

42. Fill up a Folded Card

When there’s more you need to say, don’t clutter up one face of a business card. Instead, give it several faces to fill. Folded cards do not only give you more space to write details, but they also allow your client to have a visual walk through. Since they go through each page step-by-step, they focus on one element, and move on to the next, instead of seeing everything on just a singular card face.

43. Watch Them Tear it Apart

Perforated tear-away cards add a great element to a modern business card. You can use them either to reveal a part of the information, or so they can split your card when they want to refer you to a friend. That’s two clients for the price of one card!

44. The New Black (and White)

Great design doesn’t mean you have to have five thousand colors. You may as well just keep it in black and white. Black and white card designs are crisp and give your card a sophisticated feel. No matter how wild and intricate your design is, keeping it in black and white instantly makes it look clean.

45. Make Yourself Newsworthy

Be the front page story of your business with a card that looks just like newsprint copy. Give your client a look into the editing room by showing some highlighted parts of your contact information. You can even add a few tasteful photographs and a small block of text to explain what you do, and still keep it clean, classic and eye-catching.

46. Wear Your Card on Your Sleeve

Sleeved business cards are an immensely versatile idea. Use them to change up the color for each card. Sleeves can also keep the outside design minimal with just the logo, and all the information is kept inside. You can even use the sleeve to keep a sample inside, like a piece of chocolate.

47. Make it Holographic

Holographic cards make for very interesting visuals. They aren’t expensive to produce, but they give off duochromatic colors. Any simple design can easily go from boring earthling to interesting intergalactic just by adding a holographic effect.

48. Get (Super) Funky With The Colors

Don’t be afraid of pouring an entire rainbow onto your card. Keep it interesting and wild with bold color choices. Pair it up with clean fonts and a minimalist typeface to keep your card looking crazy but clutter-free.

49. Sprinkle a Touch of Texture

Ideas don’t always have to be represented visually. A card, after all, isn’t something you see on a screen, but something you get to hold. A simple design matched with interesting textured material can already convey ideas on its own. A clean design on a card that looks like granite, or a diamond tufted sheet gives a feeling of luxury. You can also match up two textures, by printing gloss on a matte finish.

50. Play With Dimensions

Business cards don’t have to stay in the same shape or size. Get yourself a hexagon, because you can. If you want your clients to know that you’re not afraid to try new things, break a few rules with your modern business cards.

51. Mix And Match Fonts

Not all designs have to be shapes and colors. Using interesting fonts is a great way to convey a clear message about you and your brand. Flowy scripts paired with boxy sans serifs show a classic sense of luxury. Futuristic fonts, action scripts, handwritten fonts, and fun typefaces can convey a different message on their own with little to no additional graphics.

52. White Spaces Are Your Friend

Not every good design has to get wild or clever. Keeping it clean and expanding white spaces allows your client to focus on the details on your card. White cards don’t have to be boring. Use minimalist typefaces and a few tasteful visuals for a classic card that stands on its own.

53. Give it a Personal Touch

Business cards don’t have to all be exactly the same. Adding something extra and keeping it different each time makes sure your client has a unique card. Skip the cluttered design and sign your autograph on your card. Or opt to keep a small space blank for a customized, handwritten message.

54. Show Them Who You Are With Avatars

Your client may more easily remember who you are and what you do when your face is on the card. Give yourself an avatar with a graphic representation of your person. It can be a playful cartoon representation or a portrait of your face. You could also use a photo avatar that you use in your various other social media platforms so you’re easily recognizable.

55. Tell Your Story With Photos

A photo can tell a story of a thousand words. And when your story is on a card that fits in a pocket, you’re going to need a photo. Photographs on modern business cards work really well to show them exactly what it is you do. You can show the kind of food you can cook, or the kind of animals you work with, or the kinds of houses you can design. You can use the same photograph for all your business cards, or choose three or four of the best ones to reprint.

56. Stay Frosty

Frosted plastic is a great material for modern business cards. It’s translucent enough for a unique design. It can stay a standard rounded rectangle, but show a cut-out pattern. In addition to it being visually interesting, the texture also feels nice to the touch. Frosted plastic is versatile enough to go with minimal prints or to be paired with intricate designs. It makes for the kind of card you already know won’t get thrown away.

57. Facebook Cards

Facebook is just that social media platform that practically everyone has. The design is iconic and easily memorable. And the layout on its own is a great space to hold all your information. A card that looks like your Facebook timeline is creative and clean. And it allows you to put in your business’s location, your photo, your business logo, and your basic information.

58. Try Out Different Fabrics

Paper and card aren’t the only available materials for a card. Other textiles like fabric make for visually interesting pieces with great texture to them. Leather makes great material for embossing. And cloth tags sewn on woven canvas pieces add a rustic feel to a creative card like none other.

59. Go Retro

Travel back to the past and re-invigorate your sense of nostalgia with traditional designs. Opting for retro or vintage graphics and fonts makes your card easily memorable. Well-known themes and symbols that have a good history give your modern business cards a feel of timelessness and tradition.

60. Contrast With Colors

Opposites attract. And when it comes to design, this rings true. Contrasting colors don’t have to clash. Use color blocks or minimal designs, and keep your text in a single color for a design that truly pops.

Need Some Modern Business Cards That Will Make Your Business Pop?

A stunning business card is within your grasp!

There are so many ways you can rock your modern business cards. You can experiment with color, shape, layout and so much more to create a card that best represents your business. Not sure where to start? We have thousands of graphic designers who can help you to create a card that will wow your clients.

With the right design that flaunts your personality and your passions, something as simple as a business card can take you and your business to the next level. Take your time to explore, and don’t be afraid to break (or bend) a few rules here and there. With these tips you’ll ensure that your card doesn’t end up in the garbage...

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